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How to Visit the Maldives on a Budget

12/23/2021 by Kristin Addis 39 Comments

It was a sunny day in Bologna, Italy and the September sun was still bright on the orange-walled coffee shops and gelaterias around me.  I had just landed after a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to start on my second year of consecutive travel around the world.

Per usual, I hadn’t planned a thing and was looking for inspiration.

As I took a sip of my delicious cappuccino the laptop went bing! with a flight alert from AirAsia for a cheap flight they had just released from Kuala Lumpur to the Maldives.  I knew I would find myself back in Asia eventually, and I do have a very soft spot in my heart for Malaysia, so knowing I’d get back to KL eventually, I got to searching.

This began an adventure of staying on a local island and doing the Maldives on a pretty extreme budget (well, as far as the Maldives are concerned, anyway).  Want to know how I did it? It was a cinch:

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Step One: Booking a cheap flight to Malé
  • Step Two: Find the right guesthouse
  • Step Three:  Activities!
  • Things to Consider

Step One: Booking a cheap flight to Malé

The first step is to get a flight into Malé, the only international airport in the Maldives. AirAsia is who I tend to fly with the most around Asia, given how cheap the fares can be, especially when booked right after receiving one of their discount emails. You can sign up here to become a member.

Utilizing their monthly fare comparison tool, I was able to find a flight departing in November that looked like it would work for me.  I selected a total of six days which ended up being the perfect amount.  It’s easy enough to find these fares, if you can be flexible, by using their fare comparison chart:

maldives on a budget
Look, they still have low fares for February!

After speaking to a few others once on the ground in the Maldives who had traveled from Europe and Dubai using Emirates, which is certainly preferable to AirAsia comfort and mileage-wise, I realized that a lot of airlines are now offering rather cheap flights. Other good places to find fares include cheap booking agents like CheapOair or whichever your favorite discount booking website may be. 

Step Two: Find the right guesthouse

I previously wrote at length about how the Maldives has started to allow locals to open up guesthouses on local islands.  This has spawned a network of affordable guesthouses available for as low as $40/night for a room that accommodates two.  In general these rooms are pretty clean, have air conditioning, 24-hour electricity, and are comfortable.  Wifi and Western-style bathrooms with hot water are not a guarantee, however, so do some reading up on amenities before you book.

The way to find the right guesthouse is to find the right booking website.  There are three I would highly recommend for booking, two of which I actively use myself and the other was recommended by the other guests staying at my guesthouse:

  • Agoda is a discount hotel website that I typically use for booking when looking in an area that doesn’t have hostel options.  You can filter the search options by price, stars, or reviews.  Agoda does not charge a fee.
  • Airbnb  is a way for people to rent out rooms in their flats or whole apartments.  Generally, in the Maldives, it has become a way for guesthouses to book rooms.  Airbnb is great because it makes it easy to communicate with the guesthouse owner prior to booking.  Here’s an idea of how to use it to find accommodation by location using their sliding scale:

I stayed at a guesthouse called the Amazing Noovilu (which you can book on Airbnb) which ran at $118/night (plus fees and taxes) but included meals.  I really enjoyed the local experience it provided and was able to get everything planned ahead of time by speaking with the highly attentive staff there. They were also able to help me get from Malé to Mahibadhoo, which is on Ari Atoll, easily by using local transport.

It seemed that most guesthouses did include meals, which you can find at local coffee shops that dot all of the islands.

Keep in mind that once you arrive in Malé, you’ll need to get to your destination of choice.  Some hotels offer a transfer service while others do not.  You can get a ferry from the airport to Malé itself which is a few dollars and leaves when full.  From there, take a taxi to the ferry station that services the rest of the islands.  Be forewarned that not every day offers a local ferry (which ran at about $20 for Mahibadhoo).  Check the ferry schedule when considering your flight bookings. Prices range from $5-30.

Step Three:  Activities!

maldives
Snorkeling is one of the best things to do here!

Most smaller guesthouses offer tons of awesome activities from snorkeling, to fishing, to SCUBA diving.  These are things that can typically be booked on the ground in person but do heavily depend on what your guesthouse owner can provide.

I paid $30 for manta ray snorkeling, which ended up being a nearly-private tour with just my travel buddy, myself, and our guesthouse owner, who doubled as our tour guide. He mentioned that the boats coming from the nearby resorts charged hundreds of dollars per person.  It was clear who got the better deal! I found a similar deal on Viator for $50, which you can book here.

Diving and excursions were closer to $70-$85 each, but still provided a very small-group feel that I absolutely loved. You can find more budget Maldives tips here.

Things to Consider

A step-by-step guide on flying to and staying in the Maldives for cheap by using local guest houses and finding fare deals online. It's easy! Read more at https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/maldives-on-a-budget/
Pin Me! Maldives on a budget

Staying on a local island vs. a resort is not without its differences.  For one, the Maldives is a Muslim country, therefore bikinis are a no-no on the local islands.  This is not a huge deal as most of the excursions take place in the middle of the ocean or on bikini beaches where it’s perfectly fine to don a bikini.

One other big consideration is alcohol.  You can forget about toasting with wine on the local islands where alcohol (and pork!) is forbidden.  I’d also suggest NOT staying on Malé which is just a big city without the beautiful beaches and swaying palm trees you’d probably expect in the Maldives.  Moreover, there’s been a bit of instability in the past due to elections.

Lastly, the local islands are not as pristine as the resort islands.  Though they’re catching up and are still absolutely beautiful, be forewarned that there are still some growing pains and some room for improvement.

That said, I wouldn’t have changed my experience for anything, and truly enjoyed being able to do the Maldives for far under the thousands of dollars per day I feared it would cost.  Being able to experience it from an authentic, local experience made it the trip of a lifetime for me.

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About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Rika | Cubicle Throwdown says

    12/24/2013 at 3:03 pm

    This is a great resource – I had no idea about the cheap flights from KL and the guesthouses. I have a friend who just got a dive instructor job in the Maldives and is always bugging me to visit… I just might have to do that!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/25/2013 at 10:42 pm

      Nice! You should go you’d love the diving

      Reply
  2. amar patel says

    12/24/2013 at 8:01 pm

    Beautiful blog !

    Last year I gifted Maldives trip to my brother which cost me dam expensive ( 3500$ + around ) for just 4N..

    Since a day I stopped dreaming abt this destination hahah coz I need more days to explore any where..

    Thanks for a good post ! This truly gave me good hopes for future..

    Thanks for sharing ..

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/25/2013 at 10:42 pm

      That’s a nice gift!

      Reply
  3. Kara Brandt says

    12/26/2013 at 1:28 am

    Thanks for the ideas.Maldives has been my dream escapade yet hesitant to go there because of the idea that I thought the resorts there are very expensive. Maldives is a must visit country for me. Great post!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/27/2013 at 5:16 am

      Now you can go!

      Reply
  4. Melissa @ An Impulse to Soar says

    12/29/2013 at 8:09 am

    I just found your blog through Pinterest. Very cool! Great information!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/29/2013 at 6:18 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Christina says

    12/31/2013 at 11:27 am

    This looks heavenly. Did you feel restricted in not being allowed to wear a bathing suit, though?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/06/2014 at 1:22 am

      I wore one once we left the island by boat which was almost daily, so no, not really

      Reply
  6. Corinne says

    01/10/2014 at 11:42 pm

    Perfect timing. I’ve been researching a way to get to the Maldives, and have always hesitated because I just am not a resort type girl. Great info, and I’ve just flown Air Asia for the first time a few weeks ago…nice for the price!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/13/2014 at 5:45 am

      I generally like them as an airline. I’m not a resort girl either, so this was perfect for me!

      Reply
  7. MightyTravels says

    01/15/2014 at 9:04 am

    Great collection of tips! FlyDubai has also started flights to Male and has some great fares (but lousy flight times).

    Also there are daily snorkeling/ diving tours from Male often just $20/day. These tours often take you to a hotel island – gicing you the same beach others buy for $500+.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/15/2014 at 8:56 pm

      Awesome thanks for the tips!

      Reply
  8. Delphine says

    02/18/2014 at 10:49 am

    Hi,
    Thank you to share your experience with us.
    We stayed too in a local island Bodu Huraa in Male North in a guest house. It was great and we ‘d like to return in Maldives next year.
    We are very interesting to visit Male South and I found your guest house.
    I’d like to know if you can go to the beach on this island. Do you have pictures of the beach?
    Best regards

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      02/18/2014 at 9:40 pm

      There was no bikini beach, unfortunately, but i was mostly on the boat doing excursions

      Reply
  9. Supreeth says

    03/18/2014 at 8:59 am

    Kristin, Thanks for this info. How expensive are the ferries to go from one island to another? or the scuba diving or other water activities?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/18/2014 at 7:15 pm

      That depends on how far you go but around $20 for ferries and $65-ish for diving, at least with my guide.

      Reply
  10. shannon says

    05/03/2014 at 10:01 pm

    Thanks your article inspires me so much since I really don’t want to wait until I find the proper partner to visit Maldives. But again will be very awkward to visit Maldives alone? I don’t have any problem to visit big city by myself but not sure about an isolated island like Maldives? Any suggestion?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/05/2014 at 12:44 am

      Bring a friend!

      Reply
  11. Kristin says

    08/22/2014 at 10:03 pm

    I’m not sure since I didn’t try, but that is definitely something the Airbnb host should be able to tell you.

    Reply
  12. Robert says

    01/16/2015 at 8:40 pm

    The Maldives has become so popular within the last couple of years. I’ve just used airbnb a couple of times and thought I would start looking at that as an option. Glad you mentioned them. Thanks for the information and tips on where to fly into as well.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/21/2015 at 11:39 pm

      Have a great time!

      Reply
  13. Elias says

    08/26/2015 at 8:12 am

    Hi, thanks for the post. Really enjoyed reading it, specially since you made a bucket list destination sound more accessible! Just a few thoughts came to my mind: i know the deal and we can’t expect everything by paying less but I was wondering, are the beaches in the local islands you visited as stunning as the ones that are typical of Maldives (read: turquoise gorgeous colour, white sand)? And are the excursion trips and the islands visited crowded (like it was in Thailand!)?

    Planning to go in a few months and contemplating if we should go Guesthouse mdoe!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      08/26/2015 at 10:44 am

      The beaches on the local island I stayed on were not that amazing and you can’t wear a bikini there, however we never stayed on that island because we were always on the boat doing excursions. We went to a private sandy beach as well which was perfect and nobody else was there. We also got a swim with Manta Rays all to ourselves as well. It was definitely the way to go for me! Swimming with Wale sharks was very crowded, though. I believe because it’s the one place everyone knows they show up.

      Reply
  14. Freddy Palander says

    10/24/2015 at 2:25 am

    This is really useful, even though I’ve already been to Maldives once several years ago, it’s nice to see an updated and detailed budget.

    Reply
  15. Erika says

    02/19/2016 at 9:22 pm

    This is a wonderful guide about a destination that many consider extremely expensive. Thanks for posting!

    Also, I see you are now in Patagonia. Just got back from there a week ago. Stunning!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      02/20/2016 at 6:55 am

      It is beautiful! yes, the Maldives can be really expensive and it’s still not a ‘budget’ destination but it’s doable which is great!

      Reply
  16. Carol says

    07/11/2016 at 9:49 pm

    I love your blog and your writing, but most especially appreciate your honesty, transparency and generosity with detailed information. You must be very organized. Question: You say in this post that you had three booking sites you were recommending, two you had used and one that was used by another guest at the guesthouse you stayed at, but you only mention two in the post. Did you change your mind about the third one or was it just an oversight? Care to share if it just got left out? Thanks for all your work on the blog. It is such a great resource. I have a few questions that don’t really fit as pertinent comments on any of the many dozens of posts I have read. Is it okay to email you with them? I don’t want to be a bother.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      07/13/2016 at 2:13 am

      Hi Carol, I would actually suggest booking this one on AirBnB, I can’t remember what the other guys used to be honest! Sorry!

      I try to limit the travel advice I give as I’m not a travel agent, it takes a ton of my time and I am already REALLY swamped as it is, and I’ve written so many posts about planning and trip help. Please use the search bar at the top of the site for anything specific but if you still have a burning unanswered question that might deserve its own blog post do feel free to email me! 🙂

      Reply
  17. yam says

    08/25/2016 at 5:19 am

    thanks for the info.
    regarding the comparison fare chart, is that an apps?
    i think i need that..?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      08/25/2016 at 9:06 am

      That’s google flights

      Reply
  18. Laura says

    04/20/2017 at 7:13 am

    Excellent article , congrats !
    We also visited few local islands when we went to Maldives ( Tulusdhoo, Maafushi, Rasdhoo, Mahibadhoo) and locals were so friendly and nice ! But unfortunately there is not much to do on these islands. We stopped there just for few hours for a bit of shopping and beach and rest of the time we were cruising around Maldives. If you decide to go Maldives you should definitely try the cruising option. With 2 friends we hired a private wooden vessel through a local travel agency and we cruised around different atolls. It was just fantastic as we managed to see a lot of Maldives and to experience the real Maldivian life . Cruise option is perfect for budget travelers who want to avoid the overpriced luxury resort ( and also for people who would like to enjoy an alcoholic cocktail while looking at the sunset ).

    Reply
  19. Kristin says

    11/16/2017 at 7:34 am

    I think that most places end up being more expensive than Southeast Asia, but you can do it for an average of $50 per day, I’d say. The rooms are more like $30 at a minimum and food runs maybe $10 per day if you’re thrifty, which it sounds like you are.

    Reply
  20. kartik Dodia says

    05/04/2022 at 4:45 am

    Very helpful! Thanks for writing this and sharing this information!

    Reply

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